Five people found dead after shooting in home east of Toronto, police say

OSHAWA, Ont. — Five people were found dead and another was sent to hospital after an early-morning shooting in a suburban home east of Toronto, police said Friday as investigators combed the scene for evidence.

Police tape surrounded the brick bungalow by the time the sun rose in Oshawa, Ont., hours after Durham Regional Police said they received numerous calls reporting the sound of gunshots around 1:20 a.m.

“They were eventually able to enter one of the residences here on Parklane where they made a grisly discovery of four deceased parties inside a residence,” Const. George Tudos said, adding that a woman was also found with a gunshot wound that was serious but not life-threatening.

Later, he confirmed that a fifth person — believed to be the suspect — was also found dead in the house. There had been a miscommunication because police usually do not include the suspect as one of the victims, Tudos said.

“There’s nothing to suggest that there’s any suspects on the loose and right now, we can confirm that there’s no community safety concerns,” he said.

Tudos said early information suggested four of the victims were male, and one is thought to be a woman. But he said police are waiting on the coroner to confirm ages.

Carol Gibson, who lives down the street from the crime scene, said she was startled awake by the incident.

“The first shot woke me up, and then I heard about four or five more after that,” Gibson said in an interview. “Then a woman screamed and there were two shots after that.”

Gibson said she had known the family in the house for around 20 years.

“They were a family that cared for each other quite a bit,” said Gibson. “If they weren’t playing baseball, hockey or shooting hoops on the driveway, they were out raking leaves and they did it as a family. A very caring family.”

Gibson said nothing like this has happened on the street before.

A forensic team arrived on the scene Friday morning and will assist the force’s homicide unit with the investigation, Durham police said on Twitter.

Salmaan Farooqui, The Canadian Press